Orphanage Visit

I went to an orphanage yesterday.  It was a really cool experience actually.  I've never been to an orphanage before.  I definitely had my own perception of what it'd be like.  When we first showed up, the nuns were putting the kids down for a nap.  So we grabbed some lunch and went back in a couple of hours.

We passed several rooms with smallest little bunk beds.  Just rows of them.  We wandered in and the kids were just playing...no adults around really.  The kids were just playing by themselves but stopped and swarmed us when we came in.  All except, the cute babies lined against the walls, quarantined to the potty training wall.  haha How cute are they?!

We went outside and played with the kids for a wee bit.  The little boy that I'm holding, Paul, was so sweet.  He reached for me when I came in and had his legs firmly wrapped around my waist.  He would not let me put him down.  And when he knew I was leaving to go into the room with the little babies, he sobbed.  He didn't want me to go.  I might, maybe, may have melted.  He was so so cute and I felt sad leaving him without snugs.

Kelsey getting in on the cuddles.  These kids were seriously so sweet.  The case worker couldn't tell us their individual stories but she said that these kids don't have moms--they all died in child birth.  Can you believe it's that common that all of these children go to an orphanage?  You just don't hear about that happening much in the States.

This is cute little Paul.  Right when I walked in, he came up to me, held his arms up, wanting me to hold him.  He wrapped his legs around me and didn't want to be put down...ever.  He was so sweet.

When I did finally put him down because I was going into a different room, he cried and cried.  It was so sad.  It's so hard walking away from a crying baby that doesn't have a mom to pick him up and hold him and adore him.  I just pretty much felt like a terrible human being having to walk away at any point.

Can we talk about the cute row of babies in the potty training room?!  haha I was dying.  The little boy in the blue, closest to the camera, was literally on that tiny toilet for the whole time we were there.  I don't know how the nuns potty train but there were an awful lot of cute chubby toddlers learning the ropes.

More little kiddies that we were playing with outside.  It kind of weirded me out to have all of these kids without adult supervision but Kelsey and I talked later about how much better off they are in terms of physical conditions.  They have a bed, clean clothes, are bathed everyday and are getting fed.  Many of the kids in the slums are living off of substantially less.  But at least most of them have a family.  Which heart wrenching situation is better/worse?  The children are equally happy regardless of what they do or don't have.  It's beautiful to be around them.

We found the room where they keep the babies!!  These little ones are twins!  Oh my goodness they were so funny.  The little lady on the left had an irresistible laugh.  I tickled that little chub and probably died laughing as much as she did.  She was pure joy to be around.

Kelsey and her favorite little one.  Moses had her wrapped around his teeny tiny fingers.

Maddy is the newest addition to our team.  We all just sat there playing with the kids, pondering project ideas.  We could paint murals on the walls to make it homier.  We also want to come up with better ideas for diapers.  They litterally wrap these thick, rough, huge towels around these babies and tie plastic over them.  Problem being, it gets everywhere!  The bed, all of their clothes and then they get wiped with the already soaked towel.  There's just got to be something that's more efficient, less rough....I dunno. Pondering. If you have any ideas, send them our way.

One of the nuns came in and fed them all posho.  How cute are these kids!?  They had it all over them but they all sat still and ate out of her hands.  Cute little post-dinner messes.

I heard a screaming baby coming from a different room and wandered around until I found this little guy soaked in his crib.  I initially thought that he was sweating because his clothes were wet up to his chest, blanket and fitted sheet were soaking wet.  I thought he was too hot but...nay, it was urine.  There were no nuns to be found but I wandered around and found another towel and onesie and changed him.  I had no idea what I was doing but he looked so much better and happier once he was cleaned up.

Maddy and a cute little preemie.  She was three weeks old.  We got to feed bottles to our little babies.  It was so hard to look at these tiny little wonders and ache that they don't have a mommy to soak them in everyday.  I just feel like all little babies should be gazed at in wonder.  It made me sad that they lie crying in their beds and don't have a mommy or daddy to adore them, their every facial expression, their soft hair, enamored by their itsy bitsiness.  I just think every baby deserves that.  I felt lucky to take that role for even an hour of time.